SOME 10,000 home testing kits for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are being ordered by people in Ireland every month new figures reveal.
The free kits are available to people aged 17 and over across the country from the Health Servcie Executive (HSE), offering a discreet way to check for infections in the privacy of your home.
New figures show that the HSE received more than 100,000 orders for kits up to the end of November 2023, while more than 91,000 kits were ordered in 2022.
Revealing the data, Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton, said: "I am delighted with the additional access that home STI testing provides, providing a discreet and confidential service for users, leading to quick diagnosis and intervention for those that have a reactive test result.
“It’s providing increased opportunities for diagnosis and treatment which is particularly important in the context of rising STI rates, both nationally and internationally.”
Under the HSE service anyone who uses the home kits and receives a result which indicate a need for additional investigation or treatment is referred to participating public STI clinics.
Since November 2023, those who test positive for chlamydia can access an online prescription, reducing the number of referrals to clinics for treatment.
"The service illustrates the government’s prioritisation of sexual health and wellbeing, and we have been making great progress implementing delivering and expanding additional services that support everyone’s sexual health; including through the free contraception scheme and the National Condom Distribution Service,” Ms Naughton explained, before announcing that further funding would be alloced to the scheme this year.
"Funding for the STI home testing service totalled €3,550,000 in 2023 and I’m delighted that this has been increased to €4.27 million in 2024 which will help us to meet demand," she confirmed.
